Barry Bonds has long been rumored to be a close, intimate friend of dear BALCO, and many people (Yankees Chick included) considered their relationship all but written in stone. Unlike fellow BALCO-fan Jason Giambi, Barry has always maintained that he had nothing to do with that skank (BALCO, not Jason), and it looked like he planned to deny his way all the way to the record books. This week brought about new information about Barry and his steroid abuse, though, and now that the world knows the truth (and by “know” I mean “know what we already knew but can say it with more confidence”), the fans and players are left wondering what Barry’s next move will be.

The book that allegedly exposes the truth behind Barry’s All-Star career won’t be out till the end of March, but Sports Illustrated conveniently provided the world with the excerpts in plenty of time for us to speculate on what will become of Barry before the season even starts.

The book has failed to illicit any public response from Barry himself, and there hasn’t been any indication that he’s changed his plans about playing this year. He will likely play with the Giants as planned, and we can expect him to beat Babe’s home run record with ease—and to a chorus of boos. There is no question that he will be sorely rejected by his teammates and by baseball fans, but I’m unsure as to whether that will even slow Barry down. Anyone with an ounce of humility would retire immediately—or at least at the end of this season—and keep the dignity of Hank Aaron’s home run record intact, but who knows what Barry is capable of? And if Barry does opt to remain an active player, will he even have a place to hang his hat and a team to homer for after his contract with the Giants is up this year?

Labels: steroids, you make me sick